On Monday, in an email received by members of the Peralta Community College District (PCCD), Chancellor Tammeil Gilkerson called on the “district community” to “contribute [constructively] to improving outcomes” for the district and its students by cooperating in the administration’s “Transformation Plan.”
“It has been a heavy season — in our region, in our nation, and in higher education itself,” Gilkerson wrote, reflecting on what she called “a deliberate erosion of academic freedom” from recent federal policy decisions.
Gilkerson reflected on her time as a community college student. She wrote about how her experience was enriched by TRIO, a federally funded academic success support program which faced steep cuts and layoffs this year.
“Student services and support programs — often built on shoestring budgets and extraordinary human care — shaped my life and career. They are living proof of what happens when we refuse to accept that circumstances define potential,” she wrote.
“That’s why it pains me to see our own data from the college equity plans telling a different story.”
According to Gilkerson’s email, more than 8,000 students began attending one of the Peralta Colleges between Fall 2022 and Spring 2024, but only about 2,000 students completed an Education Plan, a roadmap designed to help students reach their academic goals efficiently and successfully.
“This is our moment to do better,” Gilkerson wrote. She first introduced her plans for overhauling the district during an Aug. 2025 Flex Day. She emphasized six “focus areas” that aim to improve the student experience that go beyond simply combining Laney College and Merritt College.
“Our Transformation Plan asks us to unify as a district while honoring the strengths of each college,” Gilkerson wrote. “It asks us to design systems that are student-ready, not ones that wait for students to become institution-ready.”
Monday also marked the launch of the Peralta District Transformation Plan website. The website features the Shared Governance Handbook and highlights all committees responsible for carrying out the plan; their vision, implementation timeline, scope of work, and team members. Membership includes students, administrators, and faculty.
A series of meetings have already begun, with more to come.
The Student Success and Enrollment Management Committee had its first meeting on Oct. 10. The Distance Education Taskforce met Monday.
The Dual and Concurrent Enrollment Taskforce will meet on Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Unification Taskforce is meeting on Friday from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
All meetings are open to the public and available to attend in person and online via the Zoom links found on each respective committee page.
